The Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA) has insisted that its standards should be upheld, which it says, is in danger from proposed federal legislation.
New laws would mean commercial agents and sales reps would not require a licence – which is in stark contrast to state legislation.
REIWA president David Airey explained that overturning state laws, which require a permit, will see anarchy.
He explained: "We have the extraordinary situation whereby on Monday of this week, a commercial salesman was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay costs by the Perth Magistrates Court for selling properties without a current certificate of registration, but Canberra is still pressing ahead to make this situation legal."
He mentioned how the above agent had sold and leased a number of properties despite not being licensed to do so – Mr Airey said the man in question had forged the date of expiry on his permit.
With the Department of Commerce prosecuting the case, Mr Airey applauded the organisation, saying that unlicensed salespeople makes consumers vulnerable and makes the profession look bad.
He explained that those who want a career in real estate should comply with the law and should complete their training under the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) scheme.
